The present invention relates to navigation systems that use geographic databases and more particularly, the present invention relates to a feature in a navigation system wherein a navigation system user is able to obtain information about actual and/or potential bicycle traffic and/or bicycle travel.
Navigation systems are available that provide end users with various navigation-related features. Some navigation systems are installed in vehicles and are able to provide end users of the navigation systems (such as the drivers of the vehicles in which the navigation systems are installed) with various useful features associated with driving the vehicles. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel by roads between locations in a geographic region. Using input from the end user, and optionally from equipment that can determine one's physical location (such as a GPS system), a navigation system can examine various routes between two locations to determine an optimum route to travel from a starting location to a destination location in a geographic region. The navigation system may then provide the end user with information about the optimum route in the form of guidance that identifies the driving maneuvers required to be taken by the end user to travel from the starting location to the destination location. The guidance may take the form of visual and/or audio instructions that are provided along the way as the end user is traveling the route. Some navigation systems are able to show detailed maps on computer displays outlining routes to destinations, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the routes, locations of certain types of features, and so on.
In order to provide these and other navigating functions, navigation systems use geographic data. The geographic data may be in the form of one or more databases that include data that represent physical features in a geographic region. The geographic database may include data representing the roads and intersections in a geographic region and also may include information relating to the represented roads and intersections in the geographic region, such as turn restrictions at intersections, speed limits along the roads, street names of the various roads, address ranges along the roads, and so on.
Although navigation systems provide many important features, there continues to be room for improvements. One area in which there is room for improvement relates to providing guidance about and for non-motorized vehicles, in particular bicycles. For example, some persons may want to enjoy the features of a navigation system, such as route calculation and guidance, for travel by bicycle instead of by car. Another area in which there is room for improvement relates to safety considerations. When motorized vehicles are being driven in areas in which there are also bicycle lanes or bicycle paths, it would be helpful if the vehicle driver could be provided with warnings or other guidance about actual and/or potential bicycle traffic around the vehicle.